Driving Under Influence of Drink & Drugs

It is a criminal offence in the United Kingdom and most countries for a driver to be intoxicated while operating a vehicle. Drink driving offence or driving while drunk is established by the level of alcohol in the driver’s blood, urine or breathing test. The duty of proof that a person was driving while under the influence of alcohol is on the prosecution. The same principle applies in the case of driving under the influence of drugs or any other intoxicating substance. The law takes a very dim view of this offence because an intoxicated individual is unable to make informed and reasonable decisions; a state of mind which may affect other road users adversely. So if you have been arrested for drink driving or driving under the influence of drugs or other inebriating substances, call our drink driving lawyers today for professional legal advice.

“Is Drink Driving A Criminal Offence?”

Our drink driving lawyers have been asked this question on numerous occasions by clients who have either been charged with drink driving or arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol or other substances. Operating a vehicle and driving while under the influence and with diminished capacity poses a serious risk to the general public and other road users in particular. The European Union and by association the United Kingdom have some of the most stringent drink driving rules. The legal limits in the United Kingdom for drink driving are as follows:

In a breathalyser (breathing test): not more than 35 micrograms in 100ml breath

In urine test: a maximum of 107 micrograms in 100ml of urine, and

Blood test: not more than 80 micrograms of alcohol in 100ml blood

Where these limits are exceeded, a driver is likely to be charged with and subsequently prosecuted for driving under the influence and endangering the lives of other road users. Drunk driving punishments may not necessarily warrant a prison term except where the court forms the opinion that this would be appropriate. If there are aggravating factors which increases the seriousness of the drink driving charge, the punishment for drink driving might be less lenient.

DUI Lawyers in London Are As Busy as in New York

If you or anyone close to you has been caught drink driving, the penalty on conviction may have quite a significant effect on your life and independence. This is why and where the expertise of drink driving solicitors such as us is highly required. A drink driving conviction may attract a temporary driving ban or outright disqualification. A drink driving ban appeal may be successfully brought in peculiar circumstances where to uphold the ban would mean placing the offender and others who depend of him/her financially in a most untenable situation.

Driving under the influence (DUI) offence sentencing is almost always determined by the alcohol and/or drug level in the defendant’s body at the time of the incident or arrest. The higher the alcohol level, the less lenient the sentence is likely to be. Only in the most serious cases is a custodial sentence justified as drink driving punishment. London’s most prominent criminal defence law networks boast of some of the best DUI solicitors in London. Our specialist drink driving lawyers are always at hand to provide legal assistance in every capacity possible.

Drink Driving Lawyers in London

As with the other areas of criminal defence where we have a high level of expertise and several years of experience, our success rate as drink driving solicitors speaks for itself. Driving under the influence can be a simple case and it can also be rather complicated to defend. It matters to the outcome of your case whether or not your consumption of alcohol was voluntary or otherwise. A Special Reason argument can be pursued by an experienced drink driving lawyer in a case where your drink had been left unattended at any given time or where there is reason to believe that the amount of alcohol you consumed is significantly less than the level found in your system. This is known as a case of ‘spiked’ drink.

Also, it is important that the level of alcohol in your system at the time you were driving was over the legal limit. Where the prosecution cannot establish this, another ground for defence arises and we can even challenge your drink driving charge in certain circumstances. Whatever the particular situation surrounding the allegations you face, call us today on 02035 140 088 for immediate and specialised legal advice from one of our drink driving lawyers or criminal solicitors in London. Not only are they thoroughly familiar with the sentencing guidelines on drink driving offence